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[Review] Supergirl Episode 3×16: “Of Two Minds”

SPOILER WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT
I’m starting to feel like we’re watching a whole new show, what with the amount of plot advancement and character development we’ve gotten in the last few weeks. However, on the same hand, it feels like we may have gotten some whole new characters in the process. Not the least of which is Brainiac 5’s new image inducer, which saves us from seeing the questionable character design choices, but also causes the keenest of DEO agents to treat him like a completely different person who has infiltrated the DEO. C’mon, guys.

Pestilence (of Worldkiller fame) makes her debut by causing a mystery illness to take out an office building. As we’ve recently learned, Pestilence will eventually become Blight, a villain of the future and the Legion of Super-Heroes’ primary foe, and the reason our Legion friends are back in the present. While investigating, Imra becomes quite a bit more nihilistic than we’ve encountered from her, willing to murder Pestilence’s human host to prevent the spread of plague (much to Supergirl’s horror). While it’s explained away with her own personal experiences with lost loved ones and witnessing associated atrocities, it makes me wonder what else our favourite Saturnian has been hiding under her previously sunny, heroic façade.

Back at L-Corp, Lena continues testing Sam to figure out both the source of and cure for Sam’s ailments. While electrocution to induce the physical changes to Reign is highly unpleasant for all involved, Sam is able to communicate directly with Reign in the pocket dimension their physical forms swap to and from. Even more unpleasant is Reign’s threat to Ruby, and trying to convince Sam that Ruby’s existence has Sam trapped and is some sort of mistake (ouch, guys. Really?). Meanwhile, Lena is dodging James and the Super-scoobies who request L-Corp’s help in treating the current plague, claiming that she’s already working on it. I hope this doesn’t come back to bite Lena too badly, as it’s not technically a lie, but also not a direct truth.

After identifying Pestilence’s host as a Dr. Grace Parker, Supergirl, Mon-El and Saturn Girl confront her and are treated to the horrible reveal that Grace actually likes being Pestilence. A knock-down, drag-out fight has our heroes nearly winning, only for Purity to arrive and save Pestilence from an untimely fate. The pair escape, leaving our heroes with enough genetic material to customize a cure for those affected by plague, and to help them create a tracking program for Purity’s unique energy signature.

Using the tracking program leads Supergirl and co. straight to L-Corp, where they unexpectedly find Sam, who is currently possessed by Reign. Another fight ensues, going poorly for our heroes as the newly reunited Worldkillers escape into the night with Reign’s parting words “el mayarah” (“stronger together” in Kryptonian, the house of El’s motto), in a wonderfully evil move. We still have seven episodes to go this season, and I’m not sure what else they could throw at us to delay this plot and keep it running ’til the end, but I can’t wait to see our team of evil ladies be evil together. They’ve all suffered from isolation in their human lives, and even Purity couldn’t hold back the enthusiasm when she finally met Pestilence. It’ll certainly be a different villain dynamic than we’ve seen so far.

-Cara

Supergirl airs Monday nights at 8 Eastern/7 Central on the CW. Cara can be reached on Twitter at @virtualcara.